Glazing

A selection of glazes, washes and slips for general use are mixed by CAC Artists as part of their monthly community time. Only the shared glazes in the Artist glaze room are available for use. Artists should NOT be using the shared glazes mixed for student use.

If you are new to glazing at CAC, please ask your “buddy” to orient you to our glaze room or direct you to someone who can best guide you given the kind of glazing you intend to do.

Glaze Room Maintenance

  • When finished glazing, please clean & replace bucket tops, any sticks or cups you may have used, and wipe any glaze that has spilled around the buckets or on the floor.

  • When cleaning at the sink, please keep as much glaze material as possible in the plastic container in the sink to minimize the toxins going directly down the drain.

  • If you discover a problem with one of the shared glazes, please put a clear sign indicating the problem on the lid of the bucket and let Dalia (cone 10) or Robin (cone 6) know.

  • The set of shelves that go to the ceiling in the corner of the glaze room are meant for glaze work that is being prepped to go into a kiln. Those shelves are for anyone who is glaze firing (^6, ^10 or otherwise).

  • Please keep glazed work in your personal space if you glaze way in advance or if someone else is scheduled to go into a kiln before you. Please check TimeTree to see if someone is doing an electric or gas firing ahead of you.

  • There is a bank of shelves in the kiln room designated for CAC Artists only. These are used both for unloading as well as for storing glazed work that is next in line for loading. Before putting work for loading on these shelves, check to make sure the person firing before you doesn’t need them (or some of them) for unloading.

  • To put a piece into another person’s firing, please contact that person directly via email rather than using TimeTree for this purpose. Please do not just leave work in the glaze room. Once the firing request has been approved, leave your work with a detailed note (name of person firing, date of firing and what cone) on the appropriate shelves or in your personal workspace until date of firing.

Glazing off Premises

  • Glazes are predominantly used for firing at CAC, though some Artists do fire elsewhere (e.g., wood/salt, raku) and are charged a separate glaze fee. 

  • If you are using CAC glazes for off premises firings, please fill out a kiln log. 

  • The cost is $15 for up to the equivalent of 25 mug size pieces.

Glaze Mixing

  • All dry glaze mixing must be documented in the Artist Glaze Formula book so that we can track material usage. Please make sure you are using the book marked for Artists and NOT the one marked for student glazes, as some of the “same” glazes actually have different recipes in the student book. 

  • Cone 10 prepared dry mixes are kept in bags in the Artists Glazing Room and are wet mixed there. Dry and Wet mixing should be recorded in the log sheet on the board in the Glazing Room.

  • Questions about Cone 10 glazes and glaze mixing should be directed to Dalia Berman

  • If you are mixing for private use, you are welcome to use any materials that the studio stocks (with the exception of expensive oxides, stains and a handful of pricey items), and you must document the materials you use on the tracking sheet in the front of the Artist Glaze Formula book. 

    • Note that if you use particular stains or excessive amounts of materials, you will be charged for them.  

    • Anything that CAC does not stock, you will need to order yourself. Please speak with the Studio Manager before using CAC materials, so that you know what use may result in additional charges. 

    • All Artists must speak with Dalia (cone 10) or Robin (cone 6) before dry or wet mixing on their own for the first time.

Spray Booth — located in the Artists space behind the main classroom

  • You DO need training before using. Please ask the Studio Manager or one of the Artists who use it regularly to teach you how. It is crucial that you learn the steps before using this piece of equipment.  

  • All users should review the instructions posted by the booth.

  • In order to keep track of spray booth use, we are asking ALL users to sign the spray booth calendar in TimeTree (reach out to your artist rep for access).

  • Please note that the jars and tops for holding the glazes are being stored in the artist glaze room.